In Italy, you’ll often hear people use the single word torcicollo to describe a crick in one’s neck or a stiff neck caused by an injury.
It is made up of two words: the verb torcere meaning to twist or to contort, and collo meaning neck.
Torcicollo is a masculine noun. The plural is torcicolli.
un torcicollo
il torcicollo
dei torcicolli
i torcicolli
If you want to say that you have a stiff neck, you can use the verbs avere (to have) and venire (to come).
Ho il torcicollo da tre giorni.
I’ve had a crick in my neck for three days.
Mi è venuto il torcicollo tre giorni fa.
I got a crick in my neck three days ago.
In zoology, torcicollo is also the name given to the wryneck, a kind of bird with the incredible ability to turn its head almost 180 degrees.
